Ray Lewis III, the late son of NFL legend Ray Lewis, died of a suspected overdose, according to a police report obtained by ESPN on Saturday. Police officers were called to a home in Central Florida on Wednesday, where they found him unconscious in a bedroom. The former college football player was just 28 years old at the time of his death.
"The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident," police said in a statement. Police also noted that someone was attempting to perform CPR on Lewis when they arrived. A second person told police that Lewis needed the opioid-overdose antidote, naloxone. An officer administered it using Narcan. After attempting further life-saving tactics, they transported Lewis to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Ray Lewis During Super Bowl XLVII
Plenty of voices in the football world spoke out in the wake of Lewis' passing. Among them was his younger brother, Rahsaan Lewis, who announced his death on Thursday. "Really can't believe I'm evening typings this but RIP big brother," Rahsaan wrote on Instagram. "A true angel. I pray you're at peace now because I know how much you [were] really hurting. I don't and I won't ever have the words man, 'cause this pain right here… I love you, I love you, I love you."
Ray Lewis III played cornerback during his college football career, initially at his father's alma mater, Miami, for two seasons. From there, he transferred to Coastal Carolina before finishing his career at Virginia Union. Mark James, who coached him at Virginia Union, told the Associated Press his former player "was a great kid" and that he "played hard and it was a pleasure knowing him." In 2021, Lewis played for the Wyoming Mustangs of Champions Indoor Football.
[Via]